Rediscovering True Leisure

My dear brothers and sisters, I think we can all agree that life is busy. The number of commitments that demand our time always seems to increase, the pace of life seems to be getting faster and faster, and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight. When I often ask people how they are doing, it is very common to hear one of two things: either “Good, but busy” or “I’m exhausted!”  

Because of this, the summer is often looked at as a time for rest and recreation. Many families go on vacation or take time off work to spend with each other. Summer sports and other programs give families time to spend together. However, perhaps without realizing it, the time that is meant to be focused on rest becomes just as busy, if not busier, than the rest of the year!

When we find ourselves overly busy, a false sense of leisure can tempt us – a day when I just do absolutely nothing, to do whatever it is that I want to do, whatever is easy or self-serving. How often do people binge television shows for hours seeking rest and re-creation only to find themselves feeling just as drained at the end of their marathon? How often do we find ourselves stuck to a screen seeking to be rejuvenated only to find ourselves fatigued and empty? We were created for fulfillment and rest, not for endless work that runs us into the ground. But we must be wary of the things that tempt us with a false leisure that only leaves us feeling empty.

What fulfills us and gives us true leisure is relationship – spending time with people whom we love and people who love us. This is certainly true on a human level. Some of the most fulfilling time I have is time spent with my family in Uganda or my new family here in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, when I can relax and just be myself. I can laugh and share stories as the many cares of the world seem to melt away.  

This is also just as true on a divine level. Spending time in prayer with God our Father, Jesus our Brother, and the Holy Spirit our Advocate leaves the heart feeling that deep rest it yearns for. Christ knows our hearts even better than we do, and He knows what we need to find true rest. Our faith is the place where we find leisure in the truest sense of the word.  Receiving our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, listening to His Word proclaimed and preached to us, worshipping together as a community of faith – these experiences give us a firm foundation to stand on amid a world filled with seemingly endless storms.  

In fact, I have spoken to many people who have felt incredibly rested after taking some time away for a retreat – time focused solely on being with God. Whether it’s here in the diocese at Lumen Christi, or away at a retreat center such as Manresa, a retreat can be the one thing that we need to enjoy true leisure and rest. I have many good friends who have been dedicated to their annual silent retreat at Manresa for years now, and they wouldn’t miss it for the world because of the impact it has on their lives and on their hearts.

The temptation in the summer months is to “take a break” from our faith, to fade away from our normal routines of prayer and attending Mass. The temptation is to believe that we just need a “break” to regain our energy and momentum, but the “summer fade” always leaves us feeling as empty as a multi-hour television binge. We find true leisure not in doing whatever we want or whatever seems easy or pleasing in the moment. We find true leisure in doing the things that are truly good for us, the things that we were created to do and to experience. We find rest not in fading away but in staying connected to the people we love most, and to the God who loves us infinitely.

My encouragement to all of us as we enter into the summertime is to pray about how the Lord wants us to find true leisure with Him, even trying to take a silent retreat for a day or a weekend, so that at its end, we may find ourselves rejuvenated to fulfill the mission He has entrusted to each of us.